


We're In This Together

by WinterXAssassin (orphan_account)



Series: I Am Yours And You Are Mine [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Affection, Angst, Awesome Sam Wilson, BAMF Bucky Barnes, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes is a little shit, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Fluff, Healing, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, James Rogers - Freeform, Kissing, Love, Mother-Son Relationship, Motherhood, Natasha Romanoff becomes Natasha Rogers, Natasha Romanov Feels, Natasha Romanov Needs a Hug, Parent Natasha Romanov, Parent Steve Rogers, Parenthood, Poor Bucky Barnes, Post-Movie(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pregnancy, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Unplanned Pregnancy, Wakanda, family life, ghosts from the past, romanogers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-08-09 03:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7785376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/WinterXAssassin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"Who do you want me to be?"</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"How 'bout a friend?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Finally, when the world was at peace, the heroes built lives of their own. The soldier and the spy fell in love..."</em>
</p><p>Now settling into their new lives together, Steve and Natasha are stronger than ever. Bucky is healing, and finally it seems like they'll be safe from the government for some time.</p><p>But when a ghost from Natasha's past turns up, will their peace be shattered?<br/>Or will they stand together, stronger than ever, and face Nat's past head-on?</p><p>Also, as in the previous story, rating may occasionally change to M. I'll give you guys a warning in the Author's note if the rating goes up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Small Worries

**A/N: Alright, the sequel to _I Didn’t Want You To Be Alone_ is here! Hooray! Please enjoy the first chapter – fluff ahead, but beware: it won’t last long in this story! Also, this chapter is set one month after the epilogue of the previous story, in case anybody was wondering.**

**A big shout out to the lovely Phoebe_Snow, for the story title! Love you darling! ❤️❤️ ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ**

**Once again, flashbacks and translations are in italics.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

“Steve?” Natasha asked from her position on the bed, looking at her fiancé with tired yet worried green eyes.

“Mm?” Steve glanced away from his computer for a second to look at her, wondering what she was thinking about.

“Do you ever think about... about losing James?” Natasha seemed very hesitant with her words, and she swallowed in the middle of her sentence; something she did only when nervous about something.

Steve’s expression softened, and he hopped off his chair, going over to sit on the edge of the bed beside her. “Now, love, what makes you think such a thing? James isn’t even born yet – you’ve still got three months to go.”

“I’m just... I’m so scared, Steve,” Natasha admitted, and sniffled. He saw her swipe at her eyes with the back of her hand quickly, and he frowned that worried little frown of his, sitting closer to her and pulling her onto his lap. “You know that I’m not even supposed to be pregnant in the first place.” she went on.

Steve put his hands on her swollen belly, rubbing small, soothing circles. “I know, love. So am I. But we’ll do this together, just like everything else. I know that it’s not fighting aliens in New York, destroying HYDRA agents in D.C., fighting robots in Sokovia, or beating up your average thug – but we can do this together. We’re a team, Tasha... so much more, in fact. And remember, no matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side, and I’ll _always_ love you.” he assured her, kissing her temple.

Natasha sighed, feeling herself begin to relax. She leaned back against Steve’s broad chest, closing her eyes. “I’m so _fat_ ,” she grumbled.

“Gosh, Nat, you are _not_ ,” he scolded, “You’re very beautiful – moreso than you’ve ever been before. And you’ll only continue to get even more beautiful when you finally become a mother – and then my wife.”

“What would I do without you, Rogers?” Natasha murmured, sounding sleepy as she lay down and curled up as best she could in his lap, relaxing even more when his hands started to knead her shoulders.

Steve chuckled softly, shrugging even though Natasha couldn’t see the action. “Dunno, Romanoff. I don’t think I’d know what I’d do without you either.”

“Guess you’re stuck with me, huh?” Natasha jabbed.

Steve snorted, a small smile creeping up onto his lips. “No, I think _you’re_ stuck with _me_ ,” he retorted.

“Well, looks like we’re stuck together then.” she fired back.

He made a noise of agreement, kissing her forehead and laying back against the pillows. “Go sleepy,” he advised her softly, and just a few moments later, he felt her do just that.

* * *

About an hour after Natasha had dropped off to sleep, just as Steve was almost asleep himself, he felt a light thud vibrate the bed and he cracked open his eyes to see Bucky was now lying on the end of the bed, curled up like a cat. He let out a soft chuckle, and Bucky glanced across to meet his gaze.

“She asleep?” the brunette asked, nodding at Natasha.

“Out like a light. She needs the rest.” Steve answered softly.

As Bucky continued to watch his two friends, a small smile graced his lips – a rare sight to see. “It’s good to see her so peaceful. You too. She’s your missing piece, Steve.”

“That she is,” Steve heartily agreed, “And I’m hers.”

Bucky smirked, then, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “So, you two been busy lately?”

Steve furrowed his brows, obviously confused by the question. “Busy? Whaddaya mean?” He was even more confused when he heard Bucky’s low laugh – what on earth was... wait a minute. “No, no way, Buck! Geez, d’you really think Tasha’s up for that kind of thing?” he asked sternly, his voice rising ever so slightly.

 _Oops_.

Suddenly, there was a shriek and a thud, and Steve glanced down to find Bucky was now on the floor. He couldn’t help but snicker, and then a low, feminine voice warned him, “So help me Rogers, I’ll do the same to you. Keep your voices down, I’m trying to sleep. And if either of you make another sound, I’ll castrate you both in your sleep.”

Steve’s eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and fear, and he heard Bucky say – just as shakily as him – at the same time as him, “Y-Yes ma’am.”

“Good,” and with that, Natasha promptly burrowed her head into Steve’s chest and fell asleep again.

Steve shared a glance with Bucky, who had popped back up onto the end of the bed, and going by the look in his best friend’s eyes, the two made a silent agreement not to say another word. There was no way Natasha was going to be chopping _anything_ off, anytime soon.

“I’m hungry” Bucky mouthed after a good ten minutes of silence.

Steve shrugged, mouthing back “There’s food in the pantry here, or go to the dining hall”.

“But I don’t know how to heat food if it needs heating, or how to cook” Bucky protested, to which Steve rolled his eyes, gesturing to the counters.

“Lots of protein bars, protein shakes, and packets of chips” he replied, pulling the covers up over himself and Natasha slightly, and settling down into a more comfortable position. He watched as Bucky shrugged to himself, sighed, and slid off the bed, rummaging around – as quietly as a mouse – for something to eat.

“Found anything you were looking for” Steve asked wordlessly, as Bucky hopped back onto the bed barely even five minutes later.

Bucky snorted, holding up a can of Pringles, and set to work eating silently.

Steve smirked with amusement, and fell asleep, the only sounds in the room being Natasha’s soft breathing, and Bucky’s rather quiet munching of the Pringles.

 


	2. Watched

**A/N: And now, it begins. ;)**

**BTW, the song that Steve was listening to is _Sucker For Pain_ by Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa  & Imagine Dragons w/ Logic & Ty Dolla $ign ft X Ambassadors. Sure, the song is from the DCU, but it seems like a good workout song, so I thought it fit.**

* * *

 

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Steve stepped back from the punching bag for a few moments to stretch his arms, before doing a quick _left-cross, right-cross, jab, jab, jab_. He began his usual boxing routine, which was just a series of simple jabs, crosses, and hooks, before going all-out on the bag, his fists smashing into it with speed and precision.

He smashed the punching bag so hard it went flying across the room, landing with a thud, and he hooked up another bag, going at it again.

He had music playing from his phone and a pair of speakers, and the volume was turned up fairly loud, so he didn’t notice when Natasha entered the room until she crept up behind him; when he sensed her presence behind him he stopped, allowing her to wrap her arms around his waist from behind.

“Hi,” she said, pressing her face between his shoulder blades.

“Hey, Tasha. Whatcha doin’?” Steve spun around in Natasha’s arms, and she immediately rested her head on his shoulder.

“Looking for you,” she responded, closing her eyes. “Doing your workout, hey big boy?”

Steve chuckled softly, surprised that Natasha didn’t notice how sweaty he was. “Yeah, pretty much. You get lonely, hunh?” He gently tilted her face up so that she was looking at him, and he gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

“Just a little,” she murmured, relaxing against him. “What are you listening to?”

Steve shrugged, pulling away to turn off his music and unwrapping his hands. “Dunno. Just somethin’ on my workout playlist.”

“You have a _workout playlist_? Really?” Natasha arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow.

“Hey, you have one too.” Steve defended himself, taking the punching bag off the hook and stacking it atop the others on the far wall.

Natasha looked miffed now. “You were snooping on my phone?”

“Uh, you do the same thing.” he retorted, wrapping an arm around her waist as he left the gym, intent on heading back to their suite.

“True,” Natasha replied with a smirk, stretching up to kiss his cheek before leaning against him as she walked.

Steve felt the back of his neck prickle – the feeling that he got whenever he thought he was being watched – and he looked around, wondering if Natasha had the same feeling. But when he glanced down at her, she seemed completely relaxed; didn’t even have her “on alert” face on.

He didn’t want to disturb her sense of peace and security, so he never asked if she “felt that too”; he wisely kept his mouth shut, and let the sensation of being watched stew in his thoughts. He’d ask her later – after all, it could wait three months, couldn’t it?

* * *

 

“Ahh, shit,” Steve exclaimed, closing his sketchbook and rushing around, trying to find his tablet. “Tasha, where’s my StarkPad?” he yelled.

“You left it here in the bathroom,” she called back, from, of course, the bathroom, where she was having a nice hot shower.

Steve sighed and entered the bathroom, grabbing his tablet and making a pointed effort not to look at Natasha. She must have noticed, because she asked in a teasing tone, “What, you don’t want to look at me naked?” He could have sworn he heard her pouting.

“Tash, you know what will happen if I do, don’t you?” Steve reminded her as he backed out of the room, shutting the door behind him. “’Sides, you don’t need that right now. You can wait three more months.”

“Aww, you’re no fun,” He heard her whine, and he rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore her sulking and check through the files on his tablet.

He was quite absorbed in the file he was reading by the time he heard Natasha exit the bathroom, padding on bare feet behind him to wrap her arms around his shoulders. “Come on, Steve, you’ve made me wait ever since I told you I was pregnant,” she murmured, nuzzling her cheek against his, and bumping her head against the underside of his jaw like a cat would. “Stop being so unfair. I want some loving, and you’re going to stop being such a stubborn ass and give it to me.”

“Natasha, no. I love you to pieces, and I only want what’s best for you. But I am _not_ going to make love to you whilst you are six months pregnant!” Steve said, exasperated as he closed down the file and turned to face her, looking stern.

“Steeeeve,” Natasha whined, honest-to-goodness sticking out her plush lower lip and pouting like a child who wasn’t getting her own way. “You’re not fair.”

Steve folded his arms across his chest, his sandy brows furrowed. “I said no, and that’s final. Look, Tasha, you know that the three-month wait means that when we next make love, it’s going to be so intense you won’t be able to walk for a week.” he compromised.

Natasha’s face lit up with an eager, almost _hungry_ expression, her eyes gleaming. “Ooh, you mean that, Steve?”

“Well, I wouldn’t make the offer if I didn’t mean it, now would I?” he chuckled, and she grinned and leaned down to kiss him, murmuring something that sounded like “good boy” against his lips.

* * *

 

Steve felt the prickling sensation at the back of his neck again, as he and Bucky went on their morning run the next day.

“You feel that?” Bucky asked quietly, slowing his pace. Steve slowed his pace to make sure he didn’t outrun his friend, and nodded, his blue eyes scanning the area just as Bucky’s were. “Yeah, I felt it the other day, too. Tash didn’t notice; I never told her. Don’t want her to worry.”

Bucky’s head dipped in a nod, and the two supersoldiers stopped altogether as they kept looking around. “Feels like we’re being watched.”

Steve made a noise of agreement, frowning as he stared into the near-distance, where he was sure he’d seen a shadow moving amongst a clump of trees. “You saw that?”

“Yeah,” Bucky said quietly, tense as a coiled spring beside Steve. His metal arm whirred faintly as his hand opened and closed. “Makes me wish I carried a knife with me.”

Steve snorted, shaking his head. “It’s good to be prepared, but knives cause snags. A gun woulda been better.”

Bucky gave his friend a sideways look, before staring into the trees again. “Why do you always have to be right?” Steve just rolled his eyes, nudging the brunette’s shoulder with his own in response. Both men continued to look around for another five minutes; listening hard. When they decided that nobody was there, they headed back to their respective suites, still feeling uneasy.

_They were being watched, and they were in a country that was safe, where no-one could find them._


	3. Why Do You Always Have To Be The Hero?

**A/N: Alrighty, chapter three is here. Things are starting to really happen now. Phew, this is my longest chapter so far!**

* * *

 

Natasha felt a pair of eyes weighing on her as she lay resting on the bed, an arm cradled over her stomach protectively, and her eyes closed. She glanced beside her, opening her eyes to see Steve staring at her with a funny look on his face. “What?”

Steve narrowed his eyes just a little, looking like he was studying her, and when she bounced slightly, he let out a small noise of triumph. “Why do you keep doing that?” he asked.

“Doing what?” Natasha questioned, confused and not sure of what her fiancé was getting at.

“That... That bouncy thing. You did it just five seconds ago.” Steve’s sandy brows were furrowed in confusion, continuing to watch her.

Natasha looked at Steve puzzled, until it happened again, and she suddenly understood. “Oh, that. James has the hiccups. First he was squirming, and now he’s got the hiccups. Honestly, that’s how you know he’s _your_ son.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “ _My_ son? What happened to _our_ son?” he questioned.

“Well, he’s the one with _your_ Super Serum, so of course it’s expected he’s going to be antsy.” Natasha pointed out.

“Oh? And that’s not also part of being _your_ son, since being stubborn and not wanting to listen to orders is all from _you_?” Steve challenged, his blue eyes gleaming with fire, “And since you were trying to get James to calm down earlier when he was squirming, and he _didn’t want to_....”

Natasha bounced slightly again as James hiccupped inside her, and she sent Steve a sharp glare, to which he withered a little, causing her to relent. “I don’t exactly recall you being one to follow orders, either.” she retorted. “I mean, going behind enemy lines, _against your Colonel’s orders_ , just to rescue your best friend whom you didn’t even know was alive...?” Steve sent her a glare of his own – one that was married with pain – and she immediately regretted her words. “Steve, I-I... I didn’t mean...” She was surprised when Steve moved _closer_ , not _further away_ like she expected, leaning down to plant a kiss on her lips.

“It’s alright, Tasha,” Steve assured her, and she could have sworn there was the trace of a laugh in his tone as he gazed into her eyes, tenderly sweeping the backs of his fingers down her cheek. “I’d say you’re actually right... and that perhaps James is really just as stubborn and rule-ignoring as the both of us.”

Natasha sighed and leaned into him, closing her eyes and smiling; a small thing that curled the corners of her lips up. “What did I do to deserve you?”

Steve _did_ laugh, then, a soft, happy chuckle. “Nothin’,” he said, kissing her on the forehead, “Nothin’ at all. It was just luck... or maybe fate... that brought us together. We’re equally deserving of each other, and of James.” And he wriggled down the bed, pushing up her shirt to press a _reverent_ , loving kiss to the exposed pregnant swell of her belly. “Our win, Tasha,” he murmured.

Natasha closed her eyes again and laid back once more with another sigh – this one of pure content as she just relaxed and enjoyed the feel of Steve’s lips peppering kisses to her belly. She could feel that James was still now within her; clearly the hiccups had stopped. “I love you, Steve,”

“I love you too,” Steve murmured, nuzzling his face into her belly, ever so gently resting his head there. “And James, too. Gotta give our love to James even though he ain’t gonna be born for another three months.”

Natasha laughed and swatted Steve’s shoulder at the reminder that she still had three months to go, before placing a kiss onto his forehead.

* * *

 

The next morning, Natasha was half-awake when she felt more than saw Steve in full Captain America gear leaning down to kiss her and whisper “I love you” and “see you soon” before leaving the room, shield strapped to his back.

When she awoke fully, half an hour later, she felt Steve’s side of the bed was cold, and she wondered where he was – the shower wasn’t running, and she didn’t hear the low, masculine voices of Steve and Bucky talking in Bucky’s suite next door – and she finally gathered up the hazy memory of earlier, and then she realized that Steve was on a mission. _Whilst she was six and a half months pregnant_. “Oh, Steve...” she moaned, “Why do you always have to be the hero?”

A tear slipped down her cheek, and she brushed it away as she sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm herself. She felt James kick inside her, and she absently rubbed her belly. “Not now, baby, please...” She couldn’t handle another bout of squirming and kicking. _Not now. Not without Steve. I can’t get James to quiet like he does._

Tears burned at her eyes, and she shook her head, letting out the softest whimper. _Keep it together, Romanoff. Be strong. Steve will be fine. It’s probably just something small; a terrorist threat or a small HYDRA base cropping up from the remains. That’s all. He’ll be fine; he’ll be home before you know it_.

A quiet knock at the door brought her out of her maudlin thoughts, and she got up, padding over to the door to open it. “Hi, Bucky,” she said softly.

“Hey,” Bucky gave her a small, almost sheepish smile. “Steve, um... Y’know, he’s gone on a mission... He uh...”

“Asked you to look after me? To make sure I was alright and not stressed?” Natasha smirked, backing out of the way so that Bucky could enter. “Yeah, I figured. I don’t mind, really. I’d actually rather the company.”

Bucky laughed, his stormy blue eyes twinkling, dark eyebrows almost shooting into his hairline. “Really? You, Miss Independent, want company?”

Natasha laughed along with him, closing the door behind her. “Well, surprisingly, being around Steve just... you know... I want to be around him all the time now. And you’re the closest thing to Steve who’s willing and able to hang around with me.”

Now Bucky looked like a puzzled dog. _German Shepherd puppy, much_. “Hah?”

Natasha rolled her eyes, sitting on the bed. “Hm, let’s see... You’re quite the mother hen when it comes down to it, and you’re warm and muscular like Steve is, so you’re good for hugging... and since you’re practically Steve’s brother, that means you’re sort-of my brother-in-law to-be, and Clint isn’t exactly here, so...” she listed the reasons as to why Bucky was good company.

Much to her surprise, Bucky nodded, agreeing with her. “Guess that makes sense.” He sat beside her, tentatively and hesitantly putting a hand on her stomach – and of course, she didn’t protest. Why would she? This, being an uncle to be... it was exciting and special for Bucky. So of course, Natasha was going to go out of her way to allow Bucky to do things that he wanted to do with his nephew – even when he wasn’t born yet. She was quite happy to let Bucky put her hand on her stomach – although she wasn’t exactly happy with _anybody_ touching her stomach or cooing over her, Bucky and Steve were exceptions to that rule (and maybe Clint, but he had no clue yet) – and she didn’t mind that Bucky occasionally _talked_ to her stomach.

Yes, Bucky Barnes, former Winter Soldier and deadly assassin, talked to his sort-of brother’s fiancé’s pregnant stomach. Because he was secretly really looking forward to being an uncle. _And being the one that his nephew was named after, too_.

“I think he misses his daddy... and I don’t know how the _hell_ he can sense that.” Natasha murmured, letting her head resting on Bucky’s shoulder.

Bucky let out a low chuckle, rubbing her shoulder _just like Steve would_. “Yeah, well, maybe he’s got his dad’s intuition. Ya know, sixth sense thanks to the Serum and all...”

“Please, Barnes, he’s three months away from being born,” Natasha groused, slugging Bucky on the shoulder just as she’d done to Steve yesterday. “I highly doubt that.”

Bucky shrugged his broad shoulders, the metal arm whirring faintly with the action. “You never know...”

* * *

 

The next time Natasha saw Steve, it was three days after he had left early in the morning for his mission. _Three days_. And now he was in the ICU. She didn’t know _how_ he’d ended up in the hospital; just that he was there. And she needed to go to him.

She had gotten word – earlier that morning – that Steve had returned from his mission, but he was in the hospital – in the ICU ward. She had gone straight to Bucky, rousing him from his slumber, and he had taken her – in Steve’s truck, no less – to the hospital. They didn’t seem so willing to let her in, but her eyes blazed with green fire, and Bucky standing cool and calm behind her had convinced the doctors to let both her _and_ Bucky into Steve’s hospital room.

Steve lay resting in the hospital bed, a light blanket halfway up his chest. Somehow, even though he’d always seemed so tall and so muscular, lying there like that... he just seemed so small and frail. Natasha and Bucky knew that under the thin hospital gown he wore there was an array of bandages covering various burns, cuts, and bruises. His face was battered; he had a split lip and quite a bit of bruising on his cheekbone, and a cut on his eyebrow. He looked bad... but not as bad as when it was the Winter Soldier who had put Steve in the ICU.

“ _Oh, Steve_ ,” Natasha choked out, rushing to his bedside and sitting in the chair that Bucky had almost automatically pushed closer to the bed, taking Steve’s large, warm, calloused hand in her own, sweeping her thumb over the knuckles.

She kept up a long, arduous bedside vigil, sitting in the chair with her hand tightly holding Steve’s own. At some point, Bucky had found another blanket and covered her with it, and he’d given her a pillow, too. The brunette stood in the doorway like some kind of sentinel, arms folded across his chest and blue eyes stormier than ever.

They were in for a long, long wait, but they were determined to stay until Steve woke up.


	4. Come Back To Me

**A/N: Alrighty, here’s chapter four! Get ready for more questions, and there’s chaos on the horizon, what with a baby on the way... ;)**

* * *

 

Two months had passed. Steve still hadn’t woken from his coma; it seemed he’d taken a pretty hard blow to the head. He woke once, staring unseeing at Natasha with hazy, pain-filled baby blue orbs, mumbling something that sounded like “N’t’sha?” and promptly passed out again.

Natasha remained stoic at Steve’s bedside, her faith in him unwavering as she held his hand and whispered sweet nothings to him, in the hopes that he could hear her and wake up soon – she wasn’t exactly sure about comas since she couldn’t recall being in any herself, and so she wasn’t sure if Steve could hear her or not.

Currently, she was perched on the edge of his bed, combing her fingers through his golden locks, silently begging him to wake up, tears clinging to her eyelashes.

“Come back to me,” she whispered, allowing a lone tear to slip down her cheek, which she quickly brushed away. “I love you, Steve, and I need you to wake up. It’s almost time for James to be born. And I don’t want to do this without you. _Please_ , Steve...”

Nothing. Just the sounds of the heart rate monitor and Steve’s steady, raspy breathing filled the silence. No low groan, no murmur... not a single sign nor sound to tell her that Steve was going to wake up.

Natasha wearily shifted her body until she was laying down beside him. Even though it felt awkward, it was better than being cooped up in the small hospital chair. Steve was warm, and he was comfortable to lean against, and he was home – in every sense of the word. She rested her chin on his shoulder, closing her eyes. She had an arm wrapped around the pregnant swell of her stomach, and her left hand – the engagement ring winked at her as she shifted it – was wrapped tightly around Steve’s much larger hand, holding it tight because she never wanted to let him go.

He was _everything_ to her, and _there was no way in hell she was losing him_. He was hers, and she was his – he was part of her and she him. They were each other’s homes. She’d be lost without him.

She was just drifting off to sleep, when she felt a warm hand sliding under her shirt to rest on her belly, and then a soft, husky, masculine voice whispered, “Daddy’s here.”

Natasha gasped out a sob, startling back into full awareness, and she glanced to one side to see Steve gazing at her through half-lidded eyes that were hazy with pain. “Steve!” she cried joyfully, nuzzling closer to him before crashing her lips against his in an eager, hungry, _desperate_ kiss, feeling a buzz shoot through her as she felt his soft lips against hers; something that she had missed feeling for so long now. “I missed you so much... I thought you weren’t gonna wake up,” she said, running a hand through his messy blonde hair, sobbing with relief as she peppered his face with kisses, the tears she’d been holding back for _so long_ sliding down her cheeks.

“Hey now, of course I’m gonna wake up, Tasha. I’m gonna be a dad soon, and I’ve got you to marry... What better reason to wake up from a coma, hm?” Steve reminded her, tenderly kissing her forehead.

“Steve, you were unconscious for two months! _Two months_. You don’t know how badly I missed you...” Natasha whimpered, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch as he gently stroked his thumb along her cheekbone. “I was so scared. James is due in just a month, and I...”

Steve captured her lips in another kiss, effectively silencing her. “I’m here now. And I’m never gonna leave you again. I promise.”

* * *

 

About two days after Steve woke up, he was allowed to leave his hospital room, and head back to his and Natasha’s suite. He was on crutches, and although he was still in a fair deal of pain, he soldiered on, gritting his teeth and hobbling alongside Natasha as she lead the way back to their suite. He could sense Bucky shadowing them, the familiar presence a comfort to the soldier and the spy.

Natasha was quiet as she walked beside Steve, almost but not quite leaning against him. Suddenly, hearing footsteps, she glanced to her left to see one Sharon Carter walking over. Feeling jealous, she stopped Steve in his tracks, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and yanked him closer for a possessive, passionate kiss, glaring at Carter out of the corner of her eye. She straightened up, pressed as close to Steve as possible, and threatened coolly, “If you _ever_ so much as look at my fiancé in the wrong way again, so help me I’ll wipe the floor with you. Is that clear, Carter?”

“Wait... you two are _engaged_?” Carter’s brown eyes were widened with surprise.

Steve grabbed one of Natasha’s hands, threading their fingers together. “Yes, we are,” he said proudly, almost haughtily, “We have been for three months now. And as you can probably tell, Natasha and I are expecting a baby in about a month or so.”

The soldier and the spy watched as Carter gathered her wits, working out what to say without causing any grief. “Oh... Well, um... congratulations, I guess. And don’t worry, Agent Romanoff... I don’t think I’ll be making any advances on your fiancé anytime soon, seeing as you two made it explicitly clear.”

Steve’s nod was sharp and brief. “Thankyou, Sharon.” His blue eyes weren’t quite as friendly as they usually were, but at least they weren’t sharp or narrowed. “And by the way – I am _not_ recommending you or formally introducing you to Bucky. He’s happy to remain single, thankyou very much.” he added.

“Right. I understand.” Carter replied quietly, and she turned and walked away.

Steve glanced down at Natasha, his eyes now sparkling with amusement. “Way to tell her to keep away, Nat,” he chuckled, kissing her forehead.

Bucky came up and stood beside Natasha. “What, you weren’t gonna turn me in as fresh meat, huh Romanoff?”

Natasha shrugged, a small smirk curling her lips up. “Why, Barnes, I’m sure there’s _much_ better girls for you out there than Sharon Carter. I mean, she’s _just_ a lowly CIA agent. Nothing special about her.”

Bucky’s shoulder’s shook with suppressed laughter. “Plus dating her would be too awkward for Steve, eh pal?”

Steve rolled his eyes good-naturedly, but he was smiling. “Yes, yes it would. Me dating her would have been awkward, too. Moreso than if you dated her, obviously.”

Bucky merely snickered and rolled his eyes in response, long hair getting into his eyes as he shook his head. “Duh. Now come on. I dunno about you two but I’m _starved_.”

“I eat as much as a horse,” Steve quipped as he hobbled after his friend, and Natasha just laughed.


	5. Other Plans In Mind

**A/N: All I’ve got to say is: TISSUES NEEDED!**

* * *

 

Steve was still fairly worn from the short trip back to the suite, and he knew that Natasha was tired from all that sleep she’d lost whilst waiting for him to wake up, so of course, as soon as they both lay down on the bed and got comfy, Steve expected things to stay that way.

However, it seemed that little James had other plans in mind.

After about only an hour’s sleep, Steve was rather rudely interrupted from a restful, healing slumber by Natasha shaking his shoulder and urgently calling his name. It took awhile for his senses to kick in, and for the fog to clear from his mind, and he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Mghh?”

“ _STEVE! The baby’s coming!_ ” Natasha all but screeched at him, shaking him even harder, if that were at all possible.

 _That_ woke him right up.

He hopped off the bed, hitting the floor with a thump, and rushed around to Natasha, wide-eyed and frantic. “Wha-... What... _Now_?” he asked incredulously. It started to make sense when he saw that Natasha was panting for breath, a sheen of sweat on her forehead. And then he noticed the small puddle under her butt. Oh. _Oh_. _Things were really happening!_

Natasha shot him a glare, already trying to hop off the bed and get onto her feet. “ _Yes_ , now! What does it look like to you!” she half-snapped, talking through gritted teeth.

Steve put an arm around her, and helped her onto her feet. He put a bathrobe on her, and gently hoisted her into his arms in a bridal carry, cradled close to his chest before hurrying out of their suite as fast as he could.

“Steve... You don’t need to – Actually I think – maybe – Ahhh, _hurry_ , Rogers! Ooh... Bozhe moi!”

* * *

 

Natasha let out a whimper, squeezing Steve’s hand even tighter. If it were anyone else, she would be worried about breaking their fingers or something, but this was _Steve_ ’s hand she was holding onto, and he’d heal soon enough. _Besides_ , she added mentally, _technically it’s HIS fault in the first place that I’m like this. A little payback couldn’t hurt_.

“It’s alright, love. I’m right here.” Steve hushed, gently brushing the hair off her forehead, his touch soothing and calming, surprisingly. He was so stoic, his faith and encouragements unwavering, even as she trembled and panted, sweating, crying out in pain. “It’ll be all over, soon. And d’you know what I think?”

She met his gaze, then, and asked breathlessly, “What?”

Steve gave her a tender smile, squeezing her hand back for reassurance. “I think that you doing this... All this work your body has done to give new life... I think it’s...” _Marvellous. Wonderful. Spectacular. A sight to behold_. “ _Amazing_.”

“You really think so?” Things _really_ hurt now.

He grinned, then, planting a kiss on her cheek, his eyes twinkling. “I don’t think, sweetheart – I know. I’ve seen you do so many brilliant and wonderful things before... but this... this takes the cake.”

Natasha gasped out something of a sob, and then started to squeal which ended up cutting off with a choked out cry of pain. “It hurts! Steve, make it stop... It hurts...”

Steve moved closer to the bed, and wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, almost as if he could shield her from the pain. “Can’t do that, I’m afraid,” he said with a wry grin, “But what I can do is stay by your side, supporting you, just as you asked. You told me to _be here for every step of the way_ , and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”

Natasha moaned, laying back down again and closing her eyes. “You always... keep your... promises,” she said weakly, licking her dry lips.

“I always do,” he affirmed.

* * *

 

Just a few hours later, it was over. Natasha was fast asleep on the bed, with baby James tucked close. She was exhausted, not only from 3 hours of labour, but also because of the sleep she’d lost whilst Steve was in a coma.

Steve was sitting on a plastic chair beside the bed, holding Natasha’s hand, thumb sweeping back and forth across the knuckles every now and then, watching as his fiancé and son slept peacefully. _His fiancé. And his son. His, one hundred percent. Nothing was going to take them away from him, or he away from them. Nothing_.

Little James had a small shock of blonde hair atop his head, and bright, sparkling sea green eyes that turned blue when the lights flashed a certain way. He had his mother’s pert nose, and his father’s plush lips and jawline. _He was perfect_.

The blonde soldier was startled out of his reverie when there was a timid knock at the door, and he got up to open it, not quite surprised as he took sight of Bucky standing there, looking awkward and sheepish. “Hi... can I come in?” his friend inquired.

“Sure,” Steve replied, stepping aside and closing the door once Bucky was in the hospital room.

“Alright?” Bucky asked, glancing over the sleeping forms of Natasha and James as Steve settled himself into the chair once more. Steve figured what he really meant was _Did it all go okay?_

Steve nodded, giving Bucky a smile. “Nat’s good. Tired, but... good. And over the moon. And James is... he’s healthy. So it’s good. Me? Uh, well... My hand hurts.” He laughed quietly, flexing his right hand which was red and aching. “I’m... yeah... ecstatic. As you can probably tell.”

Bucky smiled, a soft, timid thing that was just a mere perking up of the corners of his mouth, and his stormy blue eyes softened and twinkled. “That’s good. Can... Can I hold him?” His voice came out so soft and so quiet Steve would have just about missed it if it weren’t for his enhanced hearing.

He stood up, carefully taking James from Natasha so as to disturb neither mother nor baby, and handed James to Bucky, wringing his hands a little. “You know how to hold him?”

His friend nodded, smiling a little wider now. “I grew up with three sisters. I don’t remember a lot, but...” He shrugged. “Muscle memory or somethin’.” Tentatively, since that hand was the free one, he stroked his metal thumb down James’ soft cheek, and then tears welled in his eyes. “He looks just like the both of you. Perfect mix.” He grunted a chuckle, shaking his head. “I’m... I’m real proud of ya, Steve. You deserve this. After all you’ve been through, and after the amount of times you’ve saved the world. And Nat, too.” His voice wobbled, but neither would tell anyone else.

“Thanks, Buck,” Steve said softly, genuinely meaning it.

“You’re welcome, jerk,” Bucky replied easily, grinning broadly when the small being in his arms awoke with a soft coo, and, looking at him with eyes that would never see the assassin or the killer or the man who hospitalized his father, but would only see his uncle, gripped onto the metal thumb tightly, a small smile breaking out on James’ face.

Steve couldn’t help his own grin at the sight, his own eyes welling up with tears. “Punk.”

James gurgled, squirming a little, before immediately settling down in his uncle’s arms, his eyes closing again. Bucky’s smile was more tender, now, and he continued to let the little guy hold onto his metal thumb – _the arm I’ve killed so many with, and yet somehow when this kid grips it I’m unafraid of hurting him. This kid... Steve and Nat’s kid with my name... I’m gonna protect him. He’s precious... innocent... and I’ll protect him with my life_ – not minding at all.


	6. Thrown Into Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I have finally, _finally_ gotten around to adding a new chapter! So sorry it took so long; I was working out what will happen!  
>  Sinister things happen when a ghost of Natasha's past turns up....

Natasha awoke suddenly, glancing around the hospital room. Funny. She thought that James was last snuggled up in her arms when she fell asleep a few hours ago. So where was he? Why couldn't she see him? She turned to her fiancé with tired eyes, and asked breathlessly, "Where's James? Where...? Did something happen to him?"

Steve glanced over at her, stifling a yawn behind his hand, and informed her, "Buck's got 'im. Don' worry about it, Tasha, just go back t'sleep." His words were slurred, and his Brooklyn accent strong - clear indicators that he hadn't slept very well last night; perhaps hardly at all.

The redhead grumbled and reached over to punch Steve on the arm, looking rather grumpy. "I don't care, Rogers, I want my baby. Barnes, give me James, please." She glanced around the room again, suddenly realizing that there was no sign of the brunette, either. " _Steven Grant Rogers_ , where the  _fuck_ is your idiot best friend and my son!?" she snapped, now glaring at the sleepy blonde.

"S'prolly gone for a walk with him. Like I said, don' worry about it. James is in good hands." And with that, her supersoldier fiancé was out like a light, fast asleep once more.

Just then, the missing Bucky burst into the room, wild-eyed and chest heaving for breath. It seemed like he'd run a marathon just to get back to the hospital room. "James is gone!" he gasped, sounding panicked. "I swear, I put him down and turn my back for  _one second_ to grab a napkin because he was sucking his fingers and drooling everywhere, and when I look back, he was gone. Without a trace. Cafeteria wasn't even that busy, too. I searched but I couldn't find the kid. He's gone." He looked like he was about to start crying, too, his blue eyes were that wet-looking.

Natasha  _screamed_ with fear and distress so loud that Steve woke up and fell out of the chair with a thud, startled, before rushing to her side. Upon seeing the tears leaking out of her eyes, he was immediately concerned. "Nat? What is it? Did you have a nightmare?"

The assassin shook her head and whimpered, sitting up and wrapping her arms around her knees. "James is gone," she said hoarsely.

Steve wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. "He's  _what?"_ And Natasha could say no more, sobbing hysterically. The blonde eventually got the answers out of his best friend, who was now crying himself, upset as though he blamed himself for losing James.

He wrung his hands, distraught, and sat on the bed, bundling Natasha into his lap and just  _holding her_ , feeling like there was nothing more he could do at the moment. When Natasha's sobs had died down to whimpers, he gazed up at Bucky, and questioned, "Did you talk to T'Challa?"

"I have my men searching for your son as we speak. Whoever took him could not have gotten far." The Wakandan walked into the room, having overheard the conversation just as he was approaching the room. "Have no fear - I will have James rightfully restored to you, and the kidnapper punished with the correct amount of justice and mercy." His brown eyes were full of fierce fire, and he looked more angry than when he was hunting down Bucky when he thought the metal-armed assassin had murdered his father and previous king of Wakanda, T'Chaka. 

Natasha could only whimper and look at everyone with big, wet eyes, unable to yet speak due to the tangle of emotions she was experiencing. Normally she would have tamped down on those emotions, but that was the  _old_ Natasha Romanoff. She was a new Natasha Romanoff, with the newborn baby, and America's Golden Boy as her fiancé, and an amnesiac assassin who was fast becoming her best friend, after Clint, of course.  _This_ Natasha let emotions shine through. She no longer hid behind masks; behind steely green eyes and a grim mouth. She was open, bright, her green eyes full of  _life_. And because she had ignored her emotions for so long, now that she embraced them, it was all new and different and it was a little hard to handle.

She was allowed to break down. She had the  _right_ to.

"Is Natasha allowed to leave her hospital room?" Steve questioned, running his fingers through Natasha's hair to try and calm her. "She'd probably prefer the... more familiar surroundings."

"I will send in a nurse right away," T'Challa informed the supersoldier before leaving the room.

* * *

"I just want my baby back," Natasha said hoarsely, curling up in Steve's arms as soon as her fiancé laid her down on the bed once they'd reached their suite. "He's only a few hours old... he'll be screaming for me... his mama..." She sniffled and Steve gently wiped the tears away.

"We'll get him, I swear. I would move heaven and earth just to make sure you and James are safe." Steve vowed softly and fiercely, kissing the top of her head. "I'll get our son back."


	7. Ghosts From The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Yay, another chapter!  
> Yes, I know that once again I took awhile to produce this, but it doesn't help when your muse no longer has ideas for the current story and instead has 50,000 other ideas for other - and new, mind you - stories that absolutely _must_ be written and posted.  
>  So I apologize for the lengthy delay.  
> But hey, the longer I take to write, the better the chapter. Right?

It only took T'Challa's men about twenty-four hours to find James - twenty-four hours which were spent in a restless state in which neither Steve nor Natasha got a wink of sleep; when their son was returned to them, they were both absolutely exhausted, and slept quite heavily once they reached their suite.

They were overwhelmed with relief and a rush of love for their precious son, as well as anger over who had kidnapped him. Someone was going to pay, that was for sure. And Natasha was determined to be the one to exact their revenge - after all, she had an inkling of a feeling that she knew who it was.

 ****Much to their frustration, whoever had kidnapped him was long gone, and with no trace. Except for a note, which was handed to Natasha, written in Cyrillic.

As the redhead cradled her baby close, she sat on the bed and began to read the note, which she immediately knew who it was from due to the handwriting.

 _Давно не виделись, cтарый друг._  
_Я вернулся своего ребенка, потому что он не имеет смысла для меня. Но это также предупреждение. Берегитесь, Наталья. Будьте в курсе вашего окружения._  
_Однажды, тени будут считать вас живыми, и вы никогда не увидите ваш драгоценный жених снова._  
_До встречи в ближайшее время, Наталья._

_Бледно маленький паук_

Natasha heaved a sigh and tucked James into his cot when the babe was finally asleep, before starting to pace the suite, note in one hand, thinking.  _What did that mean? "The shadows will take me alive"? What shadows? Unless... Bozhe moi, Yelena's got Spiderlings. She's not alone, she must be-_  She nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a frenzied knocking at the door, and she opened it to see a very guilty-looking Bucky Barnes standing in the hallway.

"Oh! Nat, I-I um... I thought it was Steve... I wanted to talk to him... where is he?" The brunette was clearly nervous - the fact made evident because his eyes kept darting all over the place, never once meeting her own. He seemed to dance in place, his booted feet shuffling on the concrete floor.

"James Buchanan Barnes, just what the  _fuck_ has gotten into you?" Natasha asked rather sharply, folding her arms under her breasts and scrutinizing him, noting how he was sweating under her gaze and becoming increasingly anxious. "You knock on the door like a madman, then get surprised at me being here and ask for Steve when you  _know_ he's in a meeting with the king, and  _then_ you get nervous when confronting me. Just what is going on?"

"I'm sorry for losing James!" Bucky blurted out, his eyes wide and showing their whites. "I-I-I didn't mean to, I swear! I was just trying to be a good uncle and I wanna protect him as much as you guys do but I know that I'm not good enough because I never will be good at anything except killing!" He then surprised them both before bursting into tears, blubbering like a three year-old who'd just dropped his candy on the floor and it got dirty.

Natasha frowned, this time out of concern, and as she moved forward to hug him, she also pulled him into the room and closed the door so that nobody would see a crying Bucky Barnes clinging onto the steely-eyed Black Widow.

"Don't be stupid, Dzheyms. It's not your fault. You couldn't have known - and besides, neither Steve nor myself blame you for what happened. You forget that I have a past as dark as yours - perhaps if not darker - and so I have many, many enemies." the spy assured the sobbing brunette.

"But...But how can you be so sure, Nataliya? What if I hadn't turned my back even for those two seconds?" Bucky asked, looking like an absolute miserable  _wreck_ of guilt.

Natasha shook head, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "I am sure, Bucky. It's simple. I have faith in you being a good uncle; I trust that you'll only do what's best for James. You couldn't have known that Yelena was going to be there when she did. Steve and I are glad you came to us first instead of trying to track her - you might've gotten lost."

Bucky nodded and wiped his face, breaking free of the hug. "Thankyou, Nataliya," he said gratefully after taking a calming breath, "Now I feel a lot better about it all. So you mentioned Yelena - you've run into her before, or...?"

Natasha shook her head again a wry smile on her lips. "Let's just say that Yelena's an old... acquaintance of mine."

* * *

"No trace?" Steve queried, looking all-business as he stared at the computer monitors in front of him.

"None that we have found, Captain. My apologies." T'Challa replied gravely, shaking his head. "But we will find whoever took your son, I will assure you that. Rest well, Steve. I think someone is waiting for you." The king gestured to the doorway, where Natasha stood waiting.

The blonde nodded and thanked the king again, before heading over to his fiancée, his blue eyes questioning her. "Nat? What's up?"

Natasha took a deep breath before answering, reaching for his hand. "Steve.... we need to talk." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations (yes I know I'm a pain but ugh the Cyrillic is for effect, okay? so please don't kill me):
> 
> Давно не виделись, cтарый друг = Long time no see, old friend  
> Я вернулся своего ребенка, потому что он не имеет смысла для меня = I have returned your child because he is of no use to me  
> Но это также предупреждение = But this is also a warning  
> Берегитесь, Наталья = Take heed, Natalia  
> Будьте в курсе вашего окружения = Be aware of your surroundings  
> Однажды, тени будут считать вас живыми, и вы никогда не увидите ваш драгоценный жених снова = One day, the shadows will take you alive, and you will never see your precious fiancé again  
> До встречи в ближайшее время, Наталья = See you soon, Natalia  
> Бледно маленький паук = Pale little spider  
> Dzheyms = James (that's what Google Translate told me, anyway)  
> Nataliya = Natalia


End file.
